


Lost in Barcelona

by myorangemilkboys



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:20:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22146328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myorangemilkboys/pseuds/myorangemilkboys
Summary: All Nico wanted was a nice vacation in Barcelona. But getting to his hotel turned out to be more difficult than he expected
Relationships: Nico Hulkenberg/Max Verstappen
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	Lost in Barcelona

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the following AU prompt: „We‘re both lost in a foreign country and you‘re the only one who speaks the same language as me AU“ via dailyau on tumblr

When he saw the distance between the houses getting wider he started to worry. Wasn‘t this bus supposed to go to the city center? But it seemed to drive out of town, away from the city, and away from the hotel bed he needs so desperately right now, after traveling for what felt like an eternity. As the bus stopped for the next time he walked through the narrow aisle towards the driver. The driver turned towards him and gave him a questioning look.  
„Uhm… Is this bus going to the city center?“, asked Nico. Who knew if this guy even spoke English? Based on the confused look on his face he didn‘t.  
„No hablo Ingles“, he said. Nico sighed. This would be a fun evening for sure. How was he supposed to explain where he had to go? Wait! He had the address of the hotel written down somewhere… If he just remembered.. Nico quickly patted all the pockets in his jeans, and then pulled the note out of the pack pocket. He showed it to the driver. He shook his head. Then he pointed to the other side of the road. A metal post stood there, indicating that this was in fact a bus stop. Not even a bench to sit down on, or a roof. Just the metal post in the dry dirt in the middle of nowhere.  
„Gracias“, mumbled Nico after the driver opened the door to let him out of the vehicle. He didn‘t even check for cars before crossing the road. There was no car to be seen anywhere. Now he just had to wait for the next bus. That would take him back to the train station. From there he might find a better solution to reach his hotel.  
Why didn‘t he just take the taxi? For sure, taking public transport would bring him closer to the citizens, and would give him at least the slight impression of what it would be like to live here, but if he had called a taxi he‘d be his hotel room by now, warm and cozy.

It didn‘t take that long for the next bus to show up, and Nico sat down on the first free seat, putting his backpack on the one next to him. When he reached the train station it still looked the way it did when he took the first bus nearly one and a half hours ago. He took his map out of the backpack, maybe the hotel was in walking distance? He definitely wouldn‘t take another one of those goddamn buses. Right when he found the spot where he stood on the map someone bumped into him. Nico let his map fall down, but heard the other man apologizing while he picked it up again. He was close to just nodding and minding his own business again, when he wondered if the stranger could help him.  
„Sorry?“, asked Nico, „I got a little bit lost. Maybe you can help me?“  
The other man looked a bit unsure. He was about as tall as Nico, that was all he could say for sure in the dim light. „Oh, I just arrived here myself. But I guess we can at least try“  
He had a slight accent, but Nico couldn‘t say for sure where he was from. But as long as they finally worked something out he was glad.  
„We are here“, said Nico, pointing to a spot on the map, „and have to get- Fuck“ A quick check of all his pockets confirmed what he just realized. He lost the note with the address of the hotel. Why? Why was it always him with all the chaos happening to him?  
„I lost the note with the address“, he admitted, it was barely louder than a whisper, not quite audible between the sounds of the traffic around them. But a phone ringing distracted him from his problem for a second. The other guy took his phone out of the pocket of his cargo pants, making a step away from Nico, but that didn‘t make the conversation on the side in Spain any quieter.  
„Ja Mama, ich bin gut angekommen“ - „Nein, ich bin noch nicht im Hotel, der Zug hatte Verspätung“ - „Ja, ich schreibe noch mal, wenn ich im Hotel bin. Versprochen.“  
Then he hung up the phone, focusing on the map again. Nico was so shocked, he didn‘t manage to get a word out of his mouth.  
„You‘re German“, he said. Still not able to fully comprehend what just happened  
„Dutch, but my mom is German“, the man said. Ah, now Nico was also able to place the accent.  
„Wat een toeval“, he said, „I grew up basically next to the border. I‘m Nico by the way“  
„Max. But now back to our problem. You lost the address of the hotel you‘re staying in?“  
Nico nodded. He had a photo of the note. Took it a week ago. On his old phone. He totally forgot about this when setting up the new one. And he had the original note with him, what would he need the photo for. For exactly this situation. This was just supposed to happen. He had been cursed ever since he stepped on Spanish ground for the first time.  
„You don‘t remember anything? The name, or at least part of the phone number? Or part of the street it‘s in?“, asked Max. Nico just shook his head. He just now realized what this meant. He had no stay for this vacation. A full week in Barcelona, right in the middle of the holiday season. He‘d never find anything else now, no matter how hard he tried. He was lost. At this point the best option would probably be to just take the train back home. To be honest he coudln‘t wait to be out of this town and the whole country again. But he had already paid for this holidays, he might as well try to make the best out of it. And if he has to sleep on a bench in a park so be it.  
„It wasn‘t one of the big chains. A small family owned thing in the city center, right next to the action“, he chuckled, „But that‘s literally all I remember. I think I could narrow it down if I saw the rooms, but I can‘t go to every hotel in this city asking if I can take a look into the rooms, right?“  
Now Max was chuckling a little too. „I‘m sure you‘ll be fine. We will get you out of this“  
„We?“, he couldn‘t believe his ears. It was at least 10pm by now. Wasn‘t Max tired too? He has probably spent most of the day traveling too.  
„Sure. I can‘t leave the only other German speaking dude in this whole city alone without a place to stay, right?“, asked Max and took out his phone again. After tipping something into google he showed Nico the results page. Hotels. Lots of pictures of hotels. But they all looked so similar in the end. Bed, wardrobe, table, chair. If he had to choose the one he saw on the pictures when he booked his room, he couldn‘t do it.  
„Well I know for sure that this one isn‘t it“ He had pointed to one with pictures of luxurious suites. The room he booked was small and simple. But the more he tried to recall in his memory the more he seemed to forget.  
„I‘m sorry. I‘m pretty sure I‘m just wasting your time here. My memory is pretty hopeless from time to time. Once I had to get something on my motorbike fixed. But it was raining when I had the appointment so I drove to the mechanic who was supposed to fix my motorbike by car“  
Max smiled, probably imagining this scenario in his head right now.  
„Are you hungry? It feels like ages since I ate for the last time“, asked Max. Now Nico felt the hunger in his own stomach too.  
„I could really eat a horse right now. I had a sandwich before going on the train and some granola bars during the trip. I mean I planned to go to the hotel a lot faster, and then go out for food after checking in, but it looks like it will take me some time to do that“

After they stopped at McDonalds -ordering at one of the terminals wasn‘t that difficult, at least they had pictures to guide them through it- they were out on the square in front of the train station again. It was 11pm by now, Nico realized after checking his phone. No way he‘d find his hotel again tonight, or ever again.  
Max seemed to have the same thought. „Let‘s try my hotel. Maybe they still have a room? Otherwise I could at least still make sure you have a place to sleep“  
„What?“  
„The only room they had left was one with two single beds. I mean inviting strangers over to your hotel room is pretty risky, but I‘ve been up for nearly a whole day now, I‘m so exhausted, if you actually murdered me in my sleep I‘d probably be grateful“, Max said, stretching his arms, and then taking a look at his phone again. Google Maps says we need about 25 minutes if we walk. We could also take the bus, but that wouldn‘t be that much faster“  
„No way. I am not getting into one of those buses again. And you can‘t share your room with me. I couldn‘t accept that offer. Like this is crazy. You literally cannot do that“, Nico didn‘t even know where to start. All of this was such a roller coaster. From when he stepped into the wrong bus to now, where he had an offer to share a room with a stranger because he lost the address of his own hotel, it felt like a week had passed.  
„Well apparently I can“, said Max with a smirk, and started walking towards one of the traffic lights nearby, waiting for it to turn green, „And now come on I don‘t want to lose you here“  
Nico couldn‘t help but follow Max, hoping that he was better at navigating than himself. Max was right in the end. Half an hour later they stood in front of Max‘ hotel. At least that‘s what Google Maps said. But in front of them was just an average house, not looking different from the ones besides it. Small signs next to the doorbell indicate that there are four families living there. But there was no hotel to be seen. And also no bed for either of them.  
„So to sum this up“, Max looked pretty pissed at this point, „You don‘t know where your hotel is and mine doesn‘t exist?“  
It sounded like actually answering this question would just make things worse, so Nico just bit his lip, suppressing any comments. He was tired too, but at least he could blame himself for not having a bed to sleep in.  
„Maybe we can ask someone?“ Up by the bigger street up there?“  
Max didn‘t answer, so Nico took the phone out of Max‘ hand and walked back to the street they came from. He tried talking to one of the locals, but it became clear pretty easily that this guy didn‘t speak either English or German or Dutch either. And Nico spoke no Spanish. But he tried his best, pointing to the picture of the hotel on the phone, then pointing down the street, saying „No“ repeatedly. At least that was the same in English and Spanish, right? The guy seemed to understand, or wanted to look further at the problem. He followed Nico down the street, to the house where the hotel apparently should be, but also a little bit further, to a gate that led to a open square behind the houses at the front of the street. There they could already see the word „Hotel“ in glowing white letters.  
„Gracias“, said Nico when he took Max by the sleeve of his jacket and walked through the gate towards the entrance. In the hotel itself Max did the majority of the talking, while Nico watched over both their backpacks. When Max came back, he had quite good news.  
„They said they have a free room tomorrow, if you want to you can make a reservation now and check in tomorrow from 10 to 3, and until then we seem to have to share“  
Nico was too tired so say anything against that offer now. He walked over the the reception desk and quickly placed his reservation, then he followed Max to the lift.

Once they reached the room Nico let his backpack down by the bed at the wall, leaving the one at the window for Max. They had a nice view over the city, street lights and signs glowing, lighting up the nightlife of Barcelona. Maybe they could do some sightseeing together tomorrow? If Max doesn‘t get tired of him until then of course. While Max checked his phone and sent a message to his mom Nico went to the small bathroom to brush his teeth. When he finally laid in the bed he felt the exhaustion of the day creep up on him. He had been awake for nearly a whole day now, his legs hurt, and he had to fight to keep his eyelids open.

„Nico?“, asked Max from the other bed. He sounded just as exhausted as Nico felt. They both would sleep for quite some time now. Nico just set an alarm for 1pm on his phone, to make sure he wouldn‘t sleep though the check-in window for his new room.  
„Yeah?“  
„Do you wanna go to the beach tomorrow? Once you got your room I mean?“, asked Max. Of course he wanted to! Why was Max even asking?  
„You know how wild this sounds tho? I mean this whole thing… I didn‘t even know you three hours ago and now we‘re already sharing a hotel room“ Max laughed, but it was true.  
„If we stay at this pace we can get married in a week I guess“, added Max, still giggling in his bed.  
„Oh shut up. Also be quiet. Some people want to sleep at night“, Nico grabbed one of the pillows from his bed and threw it to Max, hitting him in the face.  
„Some people want to sleep?“, mocked Max what he just said, „It‘s just midnight, or are you getting old?“  
When someone knocked on the wall next to them, probably wanting them to shut up, the laughter just got louder. But after a few seconds they managed to calm down enough to be considered quiet again. Well, just in case that the walls of this hotel aren‘t paper thin like they are in more than enough other hotels. Max threw Nico‘s pillow back to him, and then turned around, facing the window.  
„And now go to sleep, old man“

The next morning they just woke up when Nico‘s alarm went off, so Nico went downstairs to officially check in, while Max was packing a bag full of stuff he might need at the beach.  
„Consider yourself lucky“, said Nico when he came back, „looks like I got the room right next to you“  
Nico went over to his new room, to open the window and also pack his stuff for the day at the beach. But once he opened his backpack and took his swimming trunks out a little piece of paper fell to the floor. This couldn‘t be what he thought it is. No way! He picked it up, and it was the note with the address of his hotel indeed. How did it get there? Did he put it there when he took the map out of the backpack? He had no clue anymore. He was way too tired yesterday evening to remember anything. So he just took his swimming trunks, the sun cream and a huge towel, placing a straw hat on his head when he closed the door behind him. Max was already waiting for him in front of the room, with his swimming trunks on already, and a Hawaii shirt covering his torso.  
Nico was unsure. Should he tell him about the note? Maybe he could also just move to his own hotel now and this whole situation wouldn‘t be as weird as it felt right now. But it also felt right in some way, so he decided against it.  
It wasn‘t that much of a walk until they reached the beach. It was pretty crowded with both tourists and locals already, but Nico and Max found a place for their towels. Then they both just sat down for a moment, admiring the view. The sun was making the sea look sparkling, as if a million diamonds were swimming on the surface. The waves hit the beach in a steady rhythm, and the air smelled fresh and salty. It was the perfect time to go swimming, so Nico put on his swimming trunks and Max took his shirt off. As soon as they stepped onto the sand they both made a hissing sound. The sand was hot, the sun has been burning down on it pretty much the whole day now, heating it up.  
As fast as they could they both ran towards the sea, glad when they finally reached it and stepped into the cold liquid. Nico wanted to take some time to get used to the temperature of the sea, but suddenly a huge splash of water hit him. He sucked in air for a moment, trying his best not to scream. This was bloody cold! Oh Max, he would get that back.  
Nico turned around, gabbed Max by the shoulders and shoved him backwards. But Max didn‘t fall, unlike Nico expected him to. Now it was Max‘ turn to try and push Nico deeper into the sea, but this attempt failed too. Nico made a quick step to the left, Max missed him, and when he was unsteady on his feet Nico placed the final attack by pushing his shoulders under the surface for a second.  
It went back and forth like this for some more time, until they both were shivering. As hot as it was, the water was still way too cold to spend extended periods of time in it comfortably. They both sat down on their towels again. Nico closed his eyes for just a second, but must have been drifting off to sleep. He was woken up when someone was rubbing sun cream on his chest. He opened his eyes and saw into Max‘. They were a shade of deep blue, but not that light blue, rather dark, just like the sea.  
„I‘m sorry. I couldn‘t let you burn yourself“, said Max.  
„No need to apologize.“  
Nico felt his cheeks flush when he remembered how Max‘ hand felt on his chest. He looked up into the other man‘s eyes, but that just made his face turn into a deeper shade of pink. He quickly grabbed his wallet from his bag, trying to find an excuse for getting up, when he saw a small store on the other side of the street behind the beach.  
„I‘m getting some ice cream“, said Nico, pointing to the store, „do you want some“  
„Chocolate and strawberry please“, said Max. Nico keeled down next to him to understand him better, since the surroundings seemed to get louder and louder as the time passed. But suddenly everything around them disappeared and it got quiet, when Max leaned in, pressing a small kiss on Nico‘s cheek. He was a little shocked, stumbling up to his feet.  
„Uhhh sure...“, said he and scratched the back of his neck. Now Max‘ cheeks were pink as well, and not because he burnt them.  
Nico leaned down again, taking the small piece of paper out of the pocket of his shorts. He placed it there in case he wanted to get back to his first hotel choice, but that seemed totally insane right now. When he passed a trash bin by the street he threw the note in there, wondering if it was just fate which made it disappear, and gave him Max instead.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this oneshot; as always, I really appreciate feedback. So feel free to leave me anything :)


End file.
